


Hero of Ice

by AI_Silver



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions, Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: How Do I Tag, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, Temporary Amnesia, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-08-11 20:17:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7906147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AI_Silver/pseuds/AI_Silver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Touya is smarter than he seems. Timid and shy, he's the younger twin brother of the loud, energetic Touko. Of course, that usually means he's overshadowed constantly by his sister, and this time was no different. Now that Touko was revealed as the 'Hero of Truth', he is forgotten and pushed aside, even by his own sister. Out of desperation, he runs away, accidentally taking an important item from a Team Plasma base and learning more than he should know about said item and its powers. Now pursued across the nation for an item and wanted dead or captured for all the information he knew, his gut leads him to Kyurem, who takes him in, and ends up finding out more and more about himself, along with the important role he plays in the next events that will hit Unova.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ice Cold

Prologue: Ice Cold  
  
A young boy stumbles around, unable to see in the freezing snowstorm blocking his view. After he left Lacunosa Town, he prepared for the cold, but he didn't expect a snowstorm. The locals there said that the snowstorm would start a good way after he left, but it had only been a few minutes after he had left and the blizzard had already engulfed him. He grimaced. "Solaris, return," He murmured. Despite the Volcarona's complaints, he returned it to the pokeball. "I know it's difficult for you to leave me, but it's going to be even harder for you to continue this kind of weather, Solaris." The pokemon inside nodded, knowing that his master only wanted the best for him.  
  
The boy continued, wrapping the jacket tighter around his small frame. Really, what was he thinking? Bringing a thin jacket out to weather like this. He shrugged the bag off his shoulder and dug through the numerous items inside. Soon enough, he found what he was looking for: a thick winter jacket. After putting it on, he felt warmer, but he was still freezing his face off. The gloves, boots and scarf he bought previously was not fit for a snowstorm this thick or cold. But he kept walking along, determined to get to the center of the blizzard, even if he could barely see in the snow.  
  
"Honestly, I don't understand why you forced us in to snow like this." He heard complains behind him, maybe 10 or 20 meters off. Fear struck his heart as he heard the answer.  
  
"Because, the boss wants us to find him! The locals said they saw someone like him, and we've been following his footprints through the snow. He can't be far off, look, the footprints look almost fresh. We're his best trackers, so keep following these footprints. It's not like he can move very fast in snow like this, and he can't exactly make traps, considering how close we are to him. So shut up and stop complaining!" Another voice called out. He knew that people had been following him, but he thought he lost them on the route to Lacunosa Town. Oh god, what if they caught him? He decided to try moving faster, even if it was dangerous. The voice was correct, they would be onto him if he tried making traps or decided to backtrack. He had to keep moving and hope that the snow could cover his footprints, even if the chance was low.  
  
He took a deep breath before continuing to move. He had to find it before they did. If they did... He shivered. The possibilities were endless. No, he had to keep moving. Keep moving, so they won't catch you, trap you, force you to tell them information. Keep moving. He trudged onward, pulling the scarf around his neck tighter. Tight enough that it almost choked him, but he didn't care. The snow thickened as he got closer, but he didn't care. The tug in his gut lead him in the snow, he didn't need his eyes. After a while, he found the stairs leading him down. He carefully tread down them, making as little noise as possible while moving as quickly as he could. The boy continued walking, soon coming across a bridge. He crawled underneath it and continued walking. Soon, he found a frozen body of water. He carefully skated across, moving slower than he would have liked. At least he didn't trip, but he came extremely close. Good thing he found shore before he could actually fall. Shivering from the cold, he stepped onto land, sighing happily. He allowed himself a small break, but continued moving as soon as he felt good enough to keep trudging on. Goosebumps traced down his skin, finding no people in the area. It was like the entire route was frozen in time, and all traces of living beings were wiped off. He couldn't find wild pokemon anywhere, even if he walked through tall grass, which he found strange and creepy.  
  
After a short while of walking, he came across a boulder he couldn't move himself, but knew he had to move. "Hydra, it pains me to call upon you, especially since you hate the cold, but please use strength." A three-headed dragon popped out and hissed at the boy, but still followed his orders. "Thank you Hydra. You can rest now." The Hydreigon returned to its pokeball much too eagerly, hissing a 'You're welcome' at the boy. He then continued north, coming across a cave entrance, and slid into the cave.  
  
The cave's floor was slippery, coated with a thin layer of ice. He almost fell, but somehow caught his balance in time before he could slip. His breath hitched as he heard those voices from earlier again, this time closer. He quickly ducked into a dark corner. "Gee, that boy sure was nice to push the boulder for us." The first voice muttered. "Let's hope we don't come across any more boulders, I didn't bring any pokemon with strength."  
  
"Idiot!" A loud 'smack!' echoed through the cave. "Always come prepared. Good thing I brought a pokemon with strength. Why did I get paired up with you? Anyway, the boy must be inside the cave. I think it's called Giant Chasm. I'm kind of surprised that he would choose a place like this to hide. It connects Route 13 and Crater Forest together, which is said where Kyurem dwells. Although boss did say the boy had connections with Kyurem, which came as quite a shock to me. Do you think he's searching out Kyurem?" His heard started beating faster, like it always did when someone mentioned the legendary dragon.  
  
"He probably is." The other grunted. "Man, you hit hard. Either way, we're getting closer to him. Should we wait for the boy to get closer to Kyurem and capture both of them at once, or get the boy as soon as possible? We need the DNA Splicers, after all, along with his knowledge about Kyurem. I say we follow the guy until he gets to Kyurem an-hey!" Another loud 'smack!' reverberated throughout the cave.  
  
"Did you forget? Kyurem is an all-powerful legendary that ate humans. We stand little to no chance against something like that. Plus, the mission is to bring back the boy alive for questioning, and to get the DNA Splicers from him. Not to find and capture Kyurem. Do you have a death wish or something?" The other voice asked, anger seeping into their words. "Honestly, why did I  get paired up with you?"  
  
"Yeah, but if we find Kyurem, we could get promoted! I don't know about you, but grunt work is boring." The first voice muttered.  
  
"Whatever. Let's find the boy." Footsteps came closer to his hiding spot. "Keep going, he's probably ahead."  
  
After he was sure the two had left, he crept along the cave, keeping to the shadows. Until he tripped and felt two strong arms trap his, locking them behind his back and leaving him immobile. "Got him! Your plan worked like a charm. Gotta say, even if you are mean, your plans are pretty good," he heard his attacker say. Another figure emerged from the shadows, slender and tall, female this time.  
  
"Of course it worked, since when do my plans fail?" She sniffed, looking him over like a predator would do to prey. "I wasn't expecting it to go that smoothly, though. But this is good." She unhooked the pokeballs around his waist and placed them in a briefcase nearby. "Where's his pack?"  
  
"Over there." The male grunt gestured over to where he attacked the boy. "His pack must've fell when he tripped." The female grunt dug through his items, and the brunette felt his pulse quicken as she took out the item they were looking for.  
  
"Here we go. You certainly were quite helpful, but I do have a few questions for you..." She was interrupted by the male grunt.  
  
"I thought you said to follow our mission and find the DNA Splicers and to capture the boy? And questioning him isn't part of the mission!" He exclaimed.  
  
"No, I said not to capture Kyurem because he could easily kill us if he tried. Questioning the boy is harmless. It won't do anything. Anyway, boy, what is your connection with Kyurem?" She demanded.  
  
"I-I don't h-have any c-connection with K-Kyurem," He answered, but widened his eyes when the grunt pointed a taser at his face.  
  
"Answer the question truthfully, or get electrified," She threatened, the weapon in her hand sparking dangerously.  
  
"F-Fine. My heart a-always races wh-when K-Kyurem is mentioned i-in a c-conversation, but th-th-that's it," He murmured, eyes downcast.  
  
"Second question! Why did you seek this place out?" Te female grunt asked, her eyes sparking with malice.  
  
"M-My gut s-said t-to go here, I d-didn't know a-about this p-place being K-Kyurem's resting place," He responded, not lifting his head.  
  
His interrogator growled in annoyance. "Look at me!" She growled, hooking the taser under his chin and lifting it up to her face. Her eyes showed nothing but evil and malice, along with the evil smirk sitting on her face. He trembled in fear, and her smirk grew even wider. "Do you know what these splicers are for, boy?"  
  
He answered, "They're f-for c-combining Z-Zekrom o-or Reshiram w-with Kyurem t-to make B-Black Kyurem o-or White K-Kyurem, respectively."  
  
She removed the taser from underneath the brunette's chin. "Tie him up, we'll bring him back to HQ now," the grunt commanded, placing the DNA Splicers into the briefcase and bringing rope out. "Use this," she threw the coil at the other grunt's face.  
  
"Hey!" The grunt shouted, transferring both of the boy's arms into one hand, reaching for the rope. The boy took this moment to kick the other guy in the shin, before tackling the woman as her back was turned. He grabbing his pack, and stole the briefcase, dashing off and letting his pokemon out.  
  
"Hydra, use strength on the boulder!" He shouted, pointing at the next boulder. The Hydriegon pushed the boulder into a hole, loyally following his master as the other pokemon fought in the backround. He turned around and quickly recalled his pokemon, keeping the three-headed dragon out, in case they came across another boulder. The boy turned left, coming across another staircase and climbed it at record speed, somehow still keeping his balance. Soon enough, the duo reached the exit into Crater Forest.  
  
Crater Forest was colder than Route 13, and much colder than the cave. Without missing a beat, the brunette tightened the scarf around his neck while dashing down the stairs. The pokemon beside him followed, albeit at a slower pace than the human. The human ran as fast as he could, dropping down a ledge and racing along the wall. He skipped the first ledge he saw and continued east, until he saw the next ledge and quickly jumped down it, trying his best not to stumble and fall off. The grunts were fast on his tail, this was not a time for mistakes.  
  
He followed his gut, and ran southeast, dropping down onto another ledge. The Hydreigon felt that he was no use anymore and tried his best to stall the grunts behind him, using flamethrower on the ground in front them. It stopped the grunts for a while, but he was quickly recalled, and the flamethrower stopped, allowed the grunts to continue. The boy dashed forward, soon dropping down another ledge. He bolted to the right, through tall grass, knowing that pokemon would most likely not appear in the harsh temperature. It might not have been snowing, but it was still freezing cold.  
  
After a lot of sprinting, the brunette came across a small pond. He walked up to it and heard a faint sound, reminiscent of a pokemon cry, and the area started to snow. Lightly at first, but the snow quickly turned cold and harsh. Knowing that that meant he was close, he walked around the pond and continued running northeast, speeding down a flight of stairs. The grunts chased him into the cave. The brown eyed boy allowed himself a glance behind him, not noticing the ledge in front of him. His eyes widened as he fell down into the pit, the air around him turning colder than before, sapping the energy from him. His honey brown eyes slowly closed as he descended into the ice cold cave, losing consciousness just before he hit the ground with a sickening _crack_.

*\oOo/*

A grey-and-blue colored dragon watched the events proceed in his cave, wincing as the two noisy humans on top started bickering. "This is your fault! If you hadn't let the boy go, we would've had the boy!" The female one accused.

"Oh yeah? And why did I have to let the boy go? To get the rope you threw at me! If you had helped, we wouldn't have been in this predicament in the first place!" The male one argued.

"I thought you would have caught it!" The other one defended.

"With what? My face?"

"No."

"Well I can't exactly use my arms, now can I?"

"Yes you could!"

"Oh yeah? How?"

"You could have caught the rope, tied one knot around a wrist, tied another knot around his other wrist, and then tied the rope between the two knots!"

"And how was I supposed to do that?"

"Ugh, you are impossible!"

"Whatever."

The legendary dragon waited for the annoying humans to leave his cave before approaching the human that laid, dead, in the middle of his home. Pokeballs were scattered across the floor, along with six worried pokemon surrounding the poor boy. As Kyurem approached the dead boy, the pokemon got into defensive positions, thinking that he had come to harm their master. He sighed.  _"I am Kyurem. Do you know who this boy is?"_

The other pokemon nodded their heads. _"He is our master, partner, and friend, obviously,"_ A Volcarona answered.

 _"Not only that. You know how Zekrom and Reshiram have heroes?"_ Kyurem asked. The pokemon nodded their heads, having an idea of what he was talking about. _"Well, this boy is_ my _hero."_

For drama's sake, Kyurem allowed a pause between his next words.

_" This boy is the hero of ice."_


	2. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.'

Chapter 1: Blue

Everything was blue.

Blue as a cloudless sky with pools of white floating lazily among it. Blue, like the ocean, sparkling with sea-foam and who-knows-what else. The blue that takes up his jacket when he looks down on his clothes, sometimes forgetting to wash them so that the white designs sometimes look grey. Blue, the color that he associates with kindness and home.

Home.

Touya really doesn't know when he does it, but he sits up, his head hurting like the flames of Ho-oh herself fried his brains. A sudden wave of dizziness washes over him, but he doesn't groan. Instead, his eyes snap open and tries to make sense of what he's seeing because all he remembers is falling... and then nothing. _Black_ , as his name decides to imply.

He's up on one knee now, but he doesn't know why, just that he has to get up and know where he is, a raw hunger for feasible information or an explanation, anything really, consuming every sense of mind he still possesses. And that brings him down, back to square one, because that realization just makes him feel dizzy and horribly sleepy. Maybe he can take a nap instead and find out where he is later. His captors wouldn't kill him when he's asleep right? He is too important and an absolute necessity to their plans. No, maybe he should just succumb...

And with thoughts like that, he's back up again, shrugging off a dizzy spell like he was shrugging off a paper cut or light bruise. Everything is not fine, and there's no evidence that his captors wouldn't torture him while he rested. So Touya gets up, his body groaning in protest, but he does it anyway, forcing himself to walk and find an exit that isn't straight up (he can still see a crack of starlight and deep purple, so at least he can still climb out if all goes wrong).

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You should be resting, kid," A light, feathery voice chirps worriedly. "You're not supposed to be up light this, 'cause you're head is still healing and that body of yours might still have to work out a couple of chinks, and that amnesia of yours will only get worse if you keep pushing yourself like that."

Touya jumps, eyes darting frantically until he finally finds the only possible source of the gentle voice - a Volcarona, with bright, red-orange wings that emit a warm heat he can feel from here and thick, shimmery feathers that coat her dusty gray skin and eyes bluer than the coat of a Suicune.

_-and he can feel the heat from the egg, hatching in a fury of red-hot magma, like it was about to explode. Was this a fire-type? He can't handle those, he finds his cool, calm and easily scared personality a horrible match for those, but the egg just gets even hotter, so before Touya can drop it, he lays the egg out on the grass as it bursts in a fiery shade of reds and oranges - and maybe a little blue too - but it's beautifully terrifying, like fireworks. Once the egg is gone, and the smoke residue is batted away, Touya stares down at the egg he carried this entire way, all until Striaton City, and he feels some kind of kinship, some kind of inner mother-hen rushing out as he pulls out a damp towel to wipe of the grime and ash from the baby pokemon's innocent face. And he can't believe his eyes, because - is that a Larvesta? - and the weak, yet rare and adorable creature in his arms makes him want to coo and he feels even more protective than before. "I'll call you Solaris. Root word of the word 'solace', y'know? And you feel very kind, even as I baby. I'd take a gander that you have a timid nature, but willing to hand out an ear to anyone in need. Plus, it sounds like it has to do with the sun, which is a bonus, isn't it?" Ex - Excalibur, his trusty Oshawott and lovable starter - grins, and he looks so much like an older brother, it's adorable, and takes its scalchop off his stomach to show off for his baby sister, and Touya can't help but giggle._

_Touya gives birth to his first pokemon, and Touko isn't there to see._

He's gasping for air now, memories about Solaris - Sol - rushing back and implanting their way in his brain. "Sol?" He asks, eyes wild and manic and unfocused. "Is that you? Solaris?"

"That's me!" Sol buzzed happily. "I'm so happy you remember me! But really, Tou-tou, you have to sit down. You're still not healthy enough to be up at this moment."

Its was too late. More memories, sharp and clear, flooded his mind. Sol, in a hilarious getup to win the silly musical in Nimbasa City (they didn't win, but it was fun anyway), Sol, evolving in the middle of a battle between Brycen and Touya, panting and out of breath, but a great adrenaline rushing in their bones (they were never first when it came to gym battles, nor the best, but they won a good fight), Sol, always perched on his shoulder, or, when she evolved, hovering close to him. Sol, who was always by his side, no matter the circumstances. He sat down, head reeling from the information overload, guilty conscience from forgetting his second-best-friend (was it first now?) and almost-little-sister, a headache slowly forming.

"Ow," he muttered dryly, the pain blossoming slowly but surely, black spots dancing to an invisible tune he can't hear.

"Oh dear, oh dear! I have to get Kyurem for this!" Sol fretted, rushing off to who knows where. Touya is barely aware of her words at this moment, even though his gut churns a bit at the name 'Kyurem'. The last thing he's aware of his his heart's erratic beating until he passes out, eyes hazy from the emotional high.

 

Touya awakes to blue-greys, the color of pleasant, cloudy days, where the sun doesn't beat down at him, but rain doesn't make everything uncomfortable. He especially likes it when wisps of mist tangles its way around his legs like the electric-silk webs of a Joltik, cool and tingly.

Despite the need to know where he is that his brain all but screams for, his heavy body protests, deciding that five more minutes of resting really wouldn't hurt. His eyelashes are fluttering down before a feeling of uncomfortable heat travels down his spine and jolts him conscious, a mess of spindly limbs and groans, but his head snaps up and awake, eyes almost clear of his previous delirious haze. A feeling of _missing_ fills his body and pools down into his stomach as he moves, but that is quickly forgotten with his next sight, startling him out of his skin, yet feels comfortable and homely too.

A pair of bright yellow eyes follow his movements, tracing every detail. No pupil, irises or sclera are included those unfathomable eyes, but he can still detect humor and pride resonating from the gaze.

Touya knows those eyes, if not from his prior knowledge, then from his dreams. "You... You're Kyurem," he breathes, and it feels as if the entire world was holding its breath.

Indeed, it is the majestic dragon of ice, clad in icy armor of differentiating shades of blues and greys, a yellow pike protruding from his head. His wings are majestic but broken too, leaving a broken wing with two spikes poking out of the ice encrusting the weak point. Kindness and wisdom are in those orbs the beast possesses, and Touya's breath hitches in his throat. Something right pulsates in his mind, so suddenly, his hand is resting on the cold (it doesn't feel cold. It feels warm to the touch, but not uncomfortably so) mask Kyurem wears over his face, words echoing through the ravine, soft and strong. He has no idea what he's doing, but he allows his instincts to carry him through the process.

"I, Touya, accept being your Hero, and the repercussions that may come with it. I vow trust in your decisions and choices, and to never stray from your chosen path of wisdom, nor your advice and words, shall you bestow them upon me, and to forever remain loyal to you and only you. I am you, and you are me, and will only perish shall you will it, or you yourself do. _And mote it be!_ " And with a final shout, a painful link between the dragon and its Hero forms, frigid pricks making its way through his fingers and blood vessels. He wants to scream so bad, but he doesn't, body frozen, needles stabbing through his body like an interesting scientific experiment. The duo stay in that position for a moment, one's head bowed with the other's hand laid on his forehead, eyes closed in mutual respect, unaware of the blinding silver that wraps around them like a liquid cloak of metallic flames, consuming them in light.

As soon as the light shield falters and dissipates does Touya kneel, supported by one knee, one hand over his heart and the other pressed tightly to his back, head bowed and eyes closed in a show of respect. This time, their positions are reversed, with Touya kneeling before the mighty beast, head bowed, and the other towering about him, eyes glowing in a declaration of strength and power. "Rise, Hero," Kyurem growls, voice a deep baritone, but smooth and chocolatey.

Touya does as commanded, one hand over heart and the other pressed against his back, like before, head raised and back straight but not defiant, never defiant. Every pore of his body screams obedience, respect and companionship, that if he gives, the other will give back. Trust in his Master, and his Master shall trust him, share his advice should his Hero ever need it, or accept his own advice, should his Master ever require it. Trade is even and fair, perhaps the only fair thing that might be in this corrupt world of theirs.

"At ease, young one," his Master commands, and Touya relaxes, posture slouching slightly and hands dropping down to his sides. "I assume you are well?"

"Yes, Master K-Kyurem," Touya responds, stuttering over Kyurem's name, but the dragon overlooks it. "May I inquire a few q-questions?"

"Of course. Should I not find the need to not answer them, I shall not, but you will find many of your curiosities satisfied."

"U-Understood. Where a-am I? How long have I b-been unconscious?"

"You are in my cave, resting here to recuperate. Do forgive me for not moving you elsewhere to heal, however moving you would have simply made your injuries worse. You have been unconscious for about a year in total. You woke up with Sol after about ten months in a coma of sorts and have since been out for roughly 2 months."

Touya's eyes widened, but he tried to remain calm. "H-How...? Why was I... out for so long?"

"Long story short, you died. Team plasma grunts, who are a group of people who sought to liberate pokemon and forced others to release their companions, but later turned corrupt and now seek only power, were chasing you because you had something very important to them, and were destined to be my hero. That made you part of their hit list, and they chased you here. You ended up falling down and hitting your head, but I managed to trap your essence in a block of NeverMeltIce. It took me five months or so to finish you, and afterwards, you just healed like a regular person suffering from a bad concussion, thus the coma. When you awoke the first time, your body still had yet to heal properly, and you had a minor heart attack after the sensory and memory overload."

"I... died?" He gulped. "H-How? Why? Why would Team P-P-Plasma -"

His words cut off, memories flooding into his brain. Team Plasma... N... Touko leaving...

_"What?" Touko's eyes glimmered with something akin to want, to need, to excitement and adventure and absolute confusion. "What do you mean, N? Me, a hero?"_

_The twins were in Dragonspiral Tower with the Light Stone, which laid in pieces at their feet. Above them stood Reshiram in her regal glory, but while Touko had stiffened in her presence, Touya felt nothing, just the feeling of uncomfortable_ \- horrible, he'll die if he gets too close, why is it here? No, no, no! - _heat that crept up his body._

_"Yes, the Hero of Truth. The stone has reacted and awoken Reshiram upon your calling, did it not?" N spoke, his tone light and soft. "It would be beneficial for me, I can see, to have a hero to face, to cement my ideals, that this is the best thing for the Unova region. I hope for a worthy opponent." He left on Zekrom's back in a glory of electric blue sparks, ignoring Touya's being as if he never existed, eyes glued onto Touko's stunned expression, which quickly evolved into anger._

_Before Touya, the usually calm and collected twin, could tell Touko_ 'no,' _she was already on Reshiram. "Oh no you don't!" She shouted. "Come back here, N!" And there she left, leaving her little younger brother alone._

 _Touya, despite his aversion to the phrase since_ 'they were twins, Touko, this is embarrassing, would you please stop?' _and the followed up hair ruffling that irritated him to no end since it only messed up and tangled his hair up more, he couldn't help but miss it._

...his leaving and running away...

 _"Was that Touko?" Bianca and Cheren caught up to Touya fast enough to catch sight of Touko flying out. He just nodded numbly, still processing the fact that_ \- Touko left him, why would she leave him? - _Touko would abandon her twin. Suddenly, he turned around, fists clenched and tears close to falling._

_"Touya? Where are you going?" Cheren or Bianca called out to him, he didn't feel like deciphering which one it was despite the obvious difference. His mind was numb and unresponsive, movements erratic and mechanical._

_"A... Away," he responded, tears finally falling, long nails piercing the skin of his palms from how hard he was clenching them, pinpricks of blood flowing out. The space next to him felt too empty_ \- it should have been filled by Touko's overbearingly protective, big-sister aura - _and the airwaves felt much too peaceful_ \- they should have been vibrating with Touko's inane chatter about nothing and everything - _and everything felt too_ wrong. _He had to leave, where he wasn't haunted by bittersweet memories, where he could forget. Everything felt too much, too big, and he just had to find a way to feel bigger, to make everything fit._

_"Are you okay?" They ask him, reaching for him, but it's too late, he's gone, and he'll be gone for the next two years too._

...the abandoned lab and lost object...

_He reaches a strange lab in the middle of a forgotten forest a few months after he leaves out of the blue, and he decides to stop there for the night. A structured place to stay is better than a tent anyway, even if it was a potentially creepy laboratory with the possibility of it being stuffed with murderers or rotting corpses. Sol hovers behind him like a bodyguard, closer than she used to be when Touko used to be with them._

_Touya enters the building cautiously, hand resting on Wisp's pokeball, in case he needs to light something on fire, needs backup or has to go through some double battles. Luckily, there is no need to do so because there are no rotting corpses or humans in sight, so Sol just lights up a few candles. "Everybody, out," Touya whispers, and everyone pops out, wary of their new surroundings. Despite its emptiness, something feels off, but they can't place it, so they let their guards down, if only for a moment. They all agree, however, that their trainer is not to leave their sights alone._

_Aster, Sol, and Vee are the first to fall asleep. Next is Wisp, Hydra and Volt, who nod off soon after, leaving Ex and Touya alone, awake. "I'm going to leave for a moment, okay? ...There's this weird energy I'm feeling, and I have to know the source."_

_Ex frowns and shakes his head, following Touya. His trainer giggles slightly. "You're so protective, Ex. Fine, you can come with me." He smiles softly, and his pokemon follows his trainer to an empty room, bare except for a table and a few paper, a lone object sitting on the table. Excalibur growls, hackles raised. This was the weird energy he was feeling._

_"Oh, I'll be perfectly fine. I can take care of myself, I am a grown teenager," Touya sighs. "But, yeah, this is the place. I kinda just followed my instincts on this one, but when have they led me wrong?" The haven't, and Ex knows that, but he cannot shake off the wrongness permeating the air. "I'll just take a look at this, I swear, and we'll leave, okay?"_

_Ex nods, albeit hesitantly. Touya scans the papers, all of them lab reports of the search for a trio of specific legendary pokemon. Some of the ink is smudged, but he can at least glean what this lab was for - DNA experimenting. Experiments upon experiments of finding Kyurem and its DNA - his heart gives little jump at that - and combining different pokemon together created the object lying innocently on the table, dubbed the DNA Splicers, of which were used specifically to combine Kyurem with either Zekrom or Reshiram. It has never been tested - Touya sighs in relief and thanks Arceus for that - but it is highly believed to work._

_He feels sick, his fist curling around the object on the table. "Ex?" He asks, tone soft but holding pent up anger and frustration from millions of tiny things, all summoned into a few sentences. " Remember what I said about reading these papers and leaving this room? I lied. We're stealing this, and then we're leaving the building. I don't think I could deal with my conscience if I stayed here any longer."_

_But the moment Touya leaves the room and is halfway to his pokemon, an alarm blares, breaking the silence. Touya is running now and tries to make his way to his pokemon, cursing himself, because of course an old Team Plasma lab would have an alarm on it, and he thinks he see a shadow of a moving vehicle coming his way. Somehow, somehow, Touya manages to make it out alive and undetected, but now he's being tracked down and wanted captured and alive_ \- and he's perfectly aware of that.

...the chase...

_"Damn, that kid is fast," someone grunts, and Touya's heart hammers in his chest. Overly curious and impulsive, he had wandered into a run down Team Plasma lab he remembers from his journey with Touko, his twin always ready to destroy whatever she found morally incorrect. It had been abandoned at that time, so he came here in hope to learn more about the DNA Splicers, recalling a stack of papers he never had to finish reading, illustrations of black and white dragons with tinges of color decorating the first page. He left it there, however, and now feels like kicking himself for doing so._

_When he entered the lab, it wasn't as empty as he had hoped. While little, there were a few scientists stationed there, experimenting on who-knows-what. The alarm had blared loudly as he intruded, and he had cursed inwardly, ready to engage in battle, Sol at his side, until he realized she wasn't. She laid on the ground as the loud shrieks continued, in obvious pain, so he returned her and sent out Ex, if only for the same reaction. Cursing loudly this time, he had returned his best friend into his pokeball and continued running in the hopes that he would lose them and find an exit._

_However, instead of escaping, he did just the opposite, dashing straight into enemy hands. "We've got you now," a few scientists grinned maniacally, like he was just some disrespectful lab rat, their pokemon surrounding him. To be honest, he probably was, to them at least._

_With teeth bared, Touya jumped straight at the smallest one and tackled him to the ground, rolling over and running straight ahead. Roof rafters were low in this place, he remembered, after his twin and him painfully banging their heads on quite a few, and Touko getting her bushy, high ponytail stuck in a few splintery rafters more often than not. At first, he had cursed them, wincing in sympathy at his sister's distress, but he now thanked them, heaving himself up without a problem._

_That led to his current predicament. He was stuck, up on the ceiling, without a place to go without injuring himself and couldn't send out his pokemon either due to the alarms blaring rudely. If he dropped down, he'd be noticed immediately by the scientists below. the only solution he could come up with was to shrink himself and hope for the best._

...and the coming here.

He finally bawls, dropping to his knees and sobbing hysterically on the frozen ice, glowing a soothing blue. He cries for everything - his sister, who probably forgot about him, N, who fought for a fight he couldn't win, his pokemon, who probably spent almost an entire year worried about him, his parents, who spent longer - until he's out of them and just a shaking mess on the soothingly cool floor.

"Are you alright?" Kyurem asks after watching the boy on the ground with sympathy, head nudging Touya's in an attempt to comfort him because he knows sadness an pain too despite being locked in one place for a practical eternity.

Touay shakes his head after a moment of unresponsiveness, and tries his best to climb up to his feet. "I-I'm... I don't think I'm f-fine. B-But I still have questions, if that's okay with you?" His stutter melts away at the end, feeling more comfortable with his Master.

"Of course."

"Why can I communicate with Sol? Why can I talk to you? And exactly what does having a body made of ice entail?"

"You can talk to your team because you have a naturally close bond. When I recreated you, you were infused with a few of my 'powers', so to speak, and therefore can talk to most pokemon, the only exceptions being newly-hatched ones. The longer pokemon will be around humans or are attached to you yourself, the easier it will be to communicate with them. Those who have not been around humans much will speak mostly in riddles, especially the more solitary kinds, or the ghost, dark and psychic types. Ice and dragon types will also be more attracted you since you bear the mark of one yourself, but bird, grass, and ground types will avoid you like the plague. However, I would recommend staying away from fire types and heat in general, unless you like feeling uncomfortably warm, reminiscent of the feeling of melting. That being said, you will not, but you will feel extremely uncomfortable. However, I have also taken the leisure you give your team's fire types necklaces that should keep a blanket of cool air around them so that you can be close to them, but you will not feel to uncomfortable around them, unless you touch them.

"With the fact that you are ice, you will also have a few pokemon-like attributes. That being said, while you might seem fleshy and human-like, with blood and organs and cells, everything of that is made up of molecules of NeverMeltIce, much like most ice-type pokemon, such as Cryogonal or Beartic. Therefore, you can use pokemon moves, but only to an extent, such as the ability to freeze things, summon a cold wind, cause blizzards or, with enough concentration, drop down the temperature down to an absolute, zero-degree cold, the area depending on how much you train it, or 'level up'. This should sound familiar, as they are technically pokemon moves that you can use to an extent, but will be considerably weaker, since human bodies were not made for such use of power, like pokemon were. You can also bear the cold extremely well, so most places in which some will have to bundle up, you can go to with short sleeves and tank tops, like my cave. However, since you are partially ice type, that makes you susceptible to fainting easily in extremely hot temperatures, getting bruises, cuts, or physical ailments easier, or, if hit on the head, easily losing consciousness. You will also possess an aversion to steel - you can hold it, but it will feel uncomfortable after an undetermined amount of time, sometimes getting rashes when you might. Also, pokemon healing items work surprisingly well on you, since you have a gene make up of a pokemon's, although I do not know about the machines Pokemon Centers use, nor whether you can be caught or not, though I doubt both.

"You can talk to me, not because of the abilities I granted you, but because of the mental link that connects me with you. Legendary pokemon are powerful entities, and only Legendaries that are more powerful than me or I have not interacted much with yet, you cannot understand. That leaves a very small portion, however, consisting mostly of Palkia and Dialga, whom you hopefully will never have to meet." Kyurem informed, sucking in a deep breath. "Any other questions?"

"Yes! A few more, actually. How long will I have to stay here, what would I do, and where would I stay?"

"You will stay here for about a few months, first, to understand your newfound abilities first and training more with your pokemon. When I deem you ready, you will go into the outside word and do my bidding for a while, mostly to bring Team Plasma down a tad and keep an eye out for them. As for your final question, I'm sure one of your pokemon would gladly lead you to your quarters. Is that all?"

"Yes. Thank you for answering my questions!"

"You're welcome, young Hero. If you have any more, seek me out in our mental link and I will respond."

Kyurem soon left afterwards, claiming that he was feeling a bit tired, leaving Touya to ponder his words. "Part pokemon, huh? That's pretty cool. Although," he tried to stifle a yawn, "I'm also feeling really drowsy, now that I - Oof!" A small pink-and-purple ball slammed into his chest, making him stumble. He gentle untangled the mass of limbs, holding them out at arms length, recognizing the pokemon, Musharna. "Huh? Who're you?"

A petite face with crimson-violet eyes stared back up at him, a small oval on the middle puffing out pastel pink dream dust, the eye markings underneath the same color, if a bit more red. "So the Dragon was right, you are back," she whispered, her voice dreamy and feathery soft. "I am pleased, Trainer Ice."

The sleepy voice triggered a few memories rushing into his mind, filling in the puzzle a bit more.

_-The grunts were abusing the poor Munna. Why couldn't they see that? Wasn't this all so hypocritical? He could feel Bianca behind him, trembling and whimpering in fear, and Touko, straining against his grasp on her arm. His instincts, which he trusted, told him that this was not the time to fight, but she wanted to, her blood boiled at the sight of the Munna, and if not for his trust in his instincts, he would have joined her as well. But they needed a plan, first, before they burst out and potentially made things worse._

_"Two can distract these guys while the other grabs the Munna?" He whispers, feeling the nods against his skin. "Who wants to initiate?" The trio throw around glances at each other, blue meeting honey brown and forest green. Feelings and tensions are obviously conflicted for different reasons between the three._

_However, to the twins' surprise, it is Bianca who intervenes first. She uses all her weight and pushes against Touya and Touko, throwing them all out into the open. "Hey! What're you doing to that poor pokemon? I thought yo guys wanted to help them, not hurt them!" She shouts, cupping her hands around her mouth to make her words louder. Touko and Touya share a look, she's gotten braver than before, although anger and the need for justice tend to do that to you._

_"Hey, look. There's some kids. And they've got spunk, tryin' to mess with us," Grunt No. 1 spits, ceasing his kicking before reaching towards his pokeballs._

_"You know, I think it's time to teach you kids a lesson!" Grunt No. 2 decides, throwing out a level 10 Purrloin, the other choosing a Patrat, the same level as the other pokemon. Touya sees this and wants to laugh because Ex is already level 13 and Sol is almost at 9 now._

_However, seeing the battle about to break loose between Bianca and Touko vs. the Team Plasma Grunts, Touya knows his role in his plan. He pushes the two girls forward, their eyes wanting blood, whispering "Draw out the battle for as long as possible and taunt and anger them as much as possible, I'll take Munna," and they nod, determined._

_His plan is set into motion, and he does save the Munna and Bianca and Touko easily defeat Team Plasma. "Hey, where's the Mu-" Grunt No. 2's question is cut short when the very pokemon they were abusing throws a powerful attack at them, sending them scrambling, tails tucked between their legs._

_In the end, Touya and co. complete their mission for Profesor Fennel, the Munna is back into good health, and she joins his team under the nickname, Aster, which is good because he's always wanted a Musharna and has grown too attached to her to let her go._

"Aster? That's you, right?" He breathes, arms wrapping around the pokemon in a hug.

"Oh, that's lovely. You didn't forget me. Sol said you had amnesia though," Aster says, cuddling into Touya's body.

Touya shrugs. "Memories come back when I sense specific things, I suppose." He smiles. "Can you tell me where my room is? Kyurem said you should know where."

Aster sighs contentedly. "You have good taste," she stately cryptically, yet matter-of-factly, and leads Touya through a maze of different doorways and finally to one that's labeled 'Touya's room'. "This is yours," she whispers, her voice as soft as ever, and curls up into a purple ball, floating away, a haze of pink dust drifting behind her.

The boy is left in front of the door and takes a hold of the doorknob before pushing the door to take a look inside, gasping. The place looks exactly like his old bedroom, but obviously meant for one instead of two. The bed is the red-brown mahogany, with the silver-white mattress, dull blue covers and black and white designs, dark blue, fluffy rug and ebony desk, his favorite lamp sitting on top of it, his bag resting peacefully atop the matching chair.

The closet is the only thing that's changed, filled with black t-shirts and dark grey shorts lined with white and black skinny jeans. His battered red sneakers are there too, next to a pair of cool grey, lace-up boots, the sides lined with two yellow spikes sticking out to the back and similarly colored laces. Next to his usual outfit and jacket is a long, shimmery, blue-silver, open trench coat that reaches a bit past his knees, with long sleeves that are cut in half around the elbow, a single yellow button at the end, in case he ever feels the need to close the sleeves. There's a dark grey cloak too, which reaches down to his ankles and is fastened by a yellow spike, surrounded and encrusted in blue crystals that look like ice and remind Touya of Kyurem's mask. The cloak however, is as light as the coat, and, around the shoulder-to-collarbone area, has a long, blue crystal that gleams in the dim lighting and falls down around the bones of his back, fading into a feathery, floating material, the corners tied into a yellow bead and white crystal. There's also a mask that goes along with the outfit, a yellow spike shooting out from the center and stopping shortly after, with two blue spikes on either side, stopping when they are in a straight line. Then, the spike transitions into an elastic material that hooks around his ears and feels soft to the touch, of which changes into a crystallized spike that meets the other along the bridge of Touya's nose. The band that stretches along his ear also has an extension of cold, yellow, black, white and grey beads that start at the end of the mask and fall past his ears, settling nicely right above his collorbone.

He dons the garb, curious and surprised when the soft clothes actually fit him. The mask isn't uncomfortable at all, like he expected, and feels as if it were never there is the first place. When he looks in the mirror, he thinks he looks nothing like himself, but feels comfortable in them, surprisingly enough. However, Touya takes off the mask, the gleaming, dark purple irises feeling strange, until he realizes that his eyes actually are an electric purple, a ring of icy blue surrounding the night sky. This makes him actually look at his reflection before he observes a couple of changes in his appearance. For starters, his hair now tickles the ends of his neck, although the messiness doesn't change, and is a darker brown, almost black shade. It feels strange though, so he ties it black with a silver ribbon he finds in his closet. Second, his skin is paler than before. While it used to be a fair skin tone, now it almost completely lacks a pigment, making him feel like a ghost. He can trace a multitude of different veins that he finds underneath his skin. Third: while still small, his facial features shifted a bit, so now his eyes are sharper and has higher cheekbones and a more feminine chin. All in all, he looks like a completely different person, despite the smaller changes.

Touya takes off the clothes and changes back into he ones he had on before - black t-shirt and dark grey shorts lined with white - head circling around nothing, confused yet satisfied. He rifles through his stuff, making sure that everything was there, especially the DNA Splicers, something he hates, yet can't help but carry it around on him anyway.

Objectives completed, he isn't even aware that he's stumbling towards his bed until he's fast asleep, dreaming before his head even hits the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about making you wait! I actually deleted the original chapter because I really didn't like it, but here's the new one! I feel like I dumped a lot on you guys in this one? Sorry?  
> Anyway, Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Just to make is clear, Touya nicknamed all his pokemon. For now, we know his Volcarona is nicknamed Solaris and his Hydreigon is nicknamed Hydra. Anyway, a kudos and comment would be greatly appreciated, and no, Kyurem is not given a nickname. That would be weird. Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, be sure to ask them. Bye!


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